Thank you steve5.
Decided to give the torpedoes a coat of gloss. I think they look a lot better.
Besides, I am sure they used to give the torpedoes a coat of oil/grease for easier release from the torpedo tubes.
Worked on painting the torpedo compartment wall. Surprisingly the kit instructions show not decals for this wall. Perhaps they realized that the torpedoes would obscure the wall. But this model has the wall showing. So now I have to paint what I can, and made a rough plan of colours to use on the plastic protrusions.
Thought of a way to make the larger dials more realistic. The idea is to paint the dial surface a matt white so pencil marks would be easier to apply. Then paint the white dial with a few coats of clear gloss to imitate glass. I think it worked out well.
Really enjoyed painting these small bits. My confidence in doing so increased as I progressed. My hand stayed more relaxed and steadier. In that relaxed state I became more aware of what was needed to be done. I feel that my skills will improve as I proceed along on this build.
The Germans were one of the few nations to specify a paint doating for their torpedoes. Many were in bare metal. German torpedoes showed a lot of bare metal, too. As little as the warhead casing, and the tail cone & fixed fins were painted.
The most extreme “bare metal” use was the US. Until late 1942, all US torpedoes were made in the US Navy Torpedo Shop. Who were not fast, nor innovative, nor musch interested in changing their ways (hence the Great Torpedo Controversy in the Pacific). Lots of bronze, phosphor-bronze, and monel in US torpedoes.
You can lightly oil stowed torpedoes, but only enough for corrosion prevention. This, because you have to be able to bend tackle on to put them in the hoist racks (put a tonne or two of torpedo over men’s heads and you do not want the chains to slip).
Really nice work!
There is at least one youtube/ pinterest page of the Wilhelm Bauer museum boat in Bremen.
Whether it represents WW2 fit is probably hard to know, but I found this extremely helpful for stuff, in particular all the natural wood paneling in the crew compartments.
This kit has a pretty long history. It’s been released in all kinds of combinations- the Type 21, the Bauer (he was the Bavarian equivalent of John Holland), interior/ no interior.
I think the French kept one operational after the war and it was on station during the Suez Crisis.
Thank you CapnMac82 for sharing that information. Yes, those torpedoes are quite huge and heavy. Our local maritime museum has one on display (Mk 8). I would not want that to slip and land on me.
Thank you for compliment.
Yes, I have downloaded many photos from the U 2540 as shown of the museum. It’s a bit of a maze to figure out which photo belongs where. Will check out what YouTube has to offer on it.
Hi PeterPan!
I’m a bit late to this Topic so I hope I am not repeating anything already covered. Your drawing has a few areas unnamed. If my translation is right, ( High school German-50 years ago), the “RB” and “R” are Regulator (or Compensating) tanks # 1 and 2. The “U” is the Negative or Buoyancy tank.
Here is a more detailed Pic.
(Click to enlarge)
I will watch with careful attention as I have quite a few “U-Boots” in my stash, including an VIIb with Interior.
Thanks.
Nino.
edit: VIIb
Thank you Nino for sharing that information about the compartments, and the huge scale plan drawings _ that makes it so much clearer and easier to decipher the German descriptors.
From Nino’s larger plans of the XXI, I discovered that something is stored under the torpedo room floor.
The kit’s cutaway section shows a partial view. Naturally the cutaway could be enlarged.
Well that just invited me to add some spares to the model.
Made a spare torpedo from the kit template frame.
Quickly figured out what parts of the wall is visible after the torpedoes and tubes are installed.
Used single strand wire to add extra electrical conduit within these visible areas.
The spare torpedo is installed under the floor.
Bottom photo show the extra conduit seen under the torpedoes.
How they accessed the spares:
Since I am getting better using the paint brush I have decided against using any decals.
Finished the torpedo room.
I’ll just throw in a big WOW! Great Job
Thank you Steve. Much appreciated.
Next compartment(s) is the wardroom(s). There are two sets of wardrooms, fore and aft of the Control Room. Building the two together since they comprise of similar parts and colour schemes.
Both also have a doorway open to the central hallway. I am surprised that nobody has yet, of this model, explored this opportunity to create a ‘peepshow’ of sorts. I will endeavour to try and create such a scene.
The above plan view shows that it is possible to see across the hallway and partly into the opposite (starboard side) wardroom. I am not sure if I will duplicate what is listed.
Decided to add bed railings to the thirty beds of this kit. Also a bluish deco (degenerate)-art type carpet to contrast the sand coloured walls.
Fabricated a false hallway. The two holes are for LEDs to light up the hall.
